Light has long remained one of the main objects of study.Many scientists have sought to know its nature, but it was difficult to do because of the disability.The earliest theories attempting to explain the nature of light, was the wave theory.It has long been considered correct and true, and there were no preconditions to form a wave-particle duality.While in physics, it was thought that the light in nature - wave, and the atoms and other small particles possess only corpuscular properties.
theory began to crumble, because it was not possible to explain the structure of the atom.Rutherford as a result of his experiments made the assumption that the atomic nucleus is in the center, there is concentrated the bulk, and the electrons are distributed throughout the volume, filling the space available.But the theory has not been confirmed, because according to calculations, such a system could not be sustained.
Preconditions of formation of a new theory
It was later discovered the phenomenon of the photoelectric effect, which goes beyond the classical physics that predominated at the time.Subsequently, the photoelectric effect is helped form wave-particle duality, because it has led to the need for a quantum physics.Its feature is that the properties of the particles obtained, which would have been impossible if we consider them in the light of the principles of classical physics.Wave-particle duality was one of the first theories studied in the new section of physics.
essence of the photoelectric effect was the fact that the ordinary matter under the influence of short-wave radiation emitted by fast electrons.The main discrepancy with classical physics was the fact that the energy emitted by fast electrons does not depend on the intensity of the radiation.Values had only the properties of the substance, as well as the frequency of the radiation.At that time it was not possible to explain the mechanisms of release of photoelectrons from the available data.
Wave theory is slim and undeniable.According to it, the energy of the radiation is uniformly distributed in the light wave.When it hits an electron, she tells him a certain amount of energy, respectively, according to this theory, the higher the intensity, the higher the energy.But in fact, everything came out a little differently.
development ideas dualism
Albert Einstein began to express the idea of the discrete nature of light.Also began to develop quantum field theory and the concept of quantum fields, which helped to shape the wave-particle duality.
point is that the light can influence the electromagnetic waves, therefore, it has the physical properties of the particle flow - of photons.But at the same phenomena such as diffraction and interference of light is showing clear wave properties.It was conducted a series of experiments to prove the duality of the structure of the world.It is on this basis was built wave-particle duality of light, ie,photon exhibits particle properties, but in a number of experiments, he had a clear manifestation of the wave properties.
should be understood that similar ideas at the moment are only of historical interest.Wave-particle duality properties of matter formed as a theory at a time when the study of these properties was just beginning, but then were actually founded new branches of physics.This theory was an attempt to explain the new phenomenon of the language of classical physics.
In fact, from the perspective of quantum physics, these objects are not particles, at least in the classic sense.They acquire certain properties only when approaching.However, the theory of dualism is still used to explain certain principles of the nature of light.
